Word of the Week- Rightly Divide "orthotomeō”

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The phrase “rightly dividing” in the KJV is the Greek word (G3718) orthotomeō (or-thot-om-eh-o) only appears once in the New Testament. The Strong’s Concordance defines it like this:

- to cut straight, to cut straight ways A to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course, equiv. to doing right
- to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly

So why did the KJV translators choose the phrase “rightly dividing” instead of “rightly teach” or “cutting straight”? Who knows, maybe in 1611 “rightly dividing” might have had a different meaning than how it’s used today.

I’ve studied this in depth, reading many other teachings and what the Holy Ghost has shown me is it’s not about dividing the books of the Bible (who said what to who, and what was written to who). Here are a couple key points:

1. When Paul wrote this, the only scripture that could have been parsed would have been the Old Testament, the gospels and epistles did not exist as a collective body of work at that time.

2. If the word orthotomeō truly meant to divide, parse, or separate, we should expect to find it, or a word of the same common root when the words divide, divided or dividing are used elsewhere in the Bible.

Dividing:
- 1 Corinthians 12:11 - (G1244) diaireó (dee-ahee-reh'-o) - def: divide into parts, cut asunder, distribute.
- Hebrew 4:12 - (G3311) merismos (mer-is-mos') - def: (a) a distributing, a distribution, (b) a parting, dividing, severance, separation.

Divide:
- Luke 12:13 - (G3307) merizó (mer-id'-zo)- def: divide into parts, divide, part, share, distribute; mid: I share, take part in a partitioning; I distract.
- Luke 22:17 - (G1266) diamerizó (dee-am-er-id'-zo)- def: divide up into parts, break up; I distribute.

The above are just a few examples of many others that can be found that most definitely meant to divide, parse, or separate. The most common being schizó, diamerizó, and merizó, however Paul didn’t use any of these. He chose a word only used once in the NT.

The Voice translation actually gives one of the closest translations of the meaning of this scripture.

2 Timothy 2:15 (Voice)
“Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth.”

I’ve seen and heard many discredit certain parts of the Bible, saying that it's not meant for us... yes even in reference to Red Letters!

However!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Voice)
“All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God's people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work.”

Below is a link to a sermon from Charles Spurgeon that teaches further on the meaning of this scripture.
https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/rightly-dividing-the-word-of-truth/#flipbook/